Main Street, U.S.A.

Main Street, U.S.A.
Disneyland
Status Operating
Opening date July 17, 1955
Magic Kingdom
Status Operating
Opening date October 1, 1971
Tokyo Disneyland
Status Operating
Opening date April 15, 1983
Disneyland Park (Paris)
Status Operating
Opening date April 12, 1992
Hong Kong Disneyland
Status Operating
Opening date September 12, 2005
Shanghai Disney Resort
Status Operating
Opening date June 16, 2016
General Statistics
Theme Early 20th Century Marceline, Missouri and Fort Collins, Colorado

Main Street, U.S.A. is the first "themed land" inside the main entrance of the many 'Disneyland'-style parks operated or licensed by The Walt Disney Company around the world.

Each Main Street, U.S.A. (except Tokyo Disneyland and Shanghai Disney Resort) has a train station above the entrance. At Disneyland Park, Disneyland Paris and Hong Kong Disneyland, Sleeping Beauty Castle stands in the distance beyond the end of the street. At the Magic Kingdom and Tokyo Disneyland, Cinderella Castle stands at the end.

The area closest to the entrance, usually just past the train station, is called Town Square. At the far end of main street, around and in front of the castle is called, The Hub or Central Plaza.

Town Square is home to City Hall, in which the Guest Relations office is located. Further along Main Street, the names painted in the windows on Main Street serve as credits for some of the many people, Imagineers and others, who contributed in some way to the creation of Disneyland. Largely they appear as fictional businesses (gyms, realtors, dentists), and they often refer to a hobby or interest that the person honored. Ub Iwerks's window, for example, refers to his prowess with cameras. For Disneyland's 50th anniversary, on July 17, 2005, a first-story window on each Main Street was unveiled with a dedication to all the cast members (employees) who had worked for Disney throughout the years. The streets are paved with resilient asphalt to prevent aching of feet. In July 2015, Disneyland expanded their Main Street U.S.A. with a Main Street Arcade in honour of their 60th anniversary.

The Hub is a plaza area in front of the castle at the end of Main Street. Here, you will find the entrances to most of the lands at the Magic Kingdom style parks. Usually, from left to right, a person will find the entrances to: Adventureland (or similar area); Frontierland (or similar area. At The Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World, the entrance will be to Liberty Square which almost acts as a time traveling area from the 1900s of main street to the 1700s of Liberty Square to the wild, western Frontierland); Through the castle, at all parks one will find Fantasyland (there will usually be a side entrance to the land as well as the castle entrance); and to the right will usually be Tomorrowland (or similar area).

Disneyland

Castle photo from Main Street at Disneyland.
A replica of Walt Disney's apartment at the Walt Disney Family Museum.
Mickey greeting guests on Main Street
Main Street Vehicles
(Disneyland)
 Sleeping Beauty Castle
 Central Plaza
Car barn
(not open to public)
Main Street, U.S.A.
Steam train transfer
(via short walk inside park)

Inspired by Walt Disney's hometown of Marceline, Missouri (as in the film Lady and the Tramp), Main Street, U.S.A. is designed to resemble the center of an idealized turn-of-the-20th-century (c. 1910) American town. According to Harper Goff, who worked on Main Street, U.S.A. with Walt, he showed Walt some photos of his childhood home of Fort Collins, Colorado. Walt liked the look, and so many of the features of the town were incorporated into Main Street, U.S.A.[1] Another significant source of inspiration for the Main Street, U.S.A. concept came from the Henry Ford Museum & Greenfield Village, which Walt Disney visited twice in the 1940s.[2]

Walt Disney said, "For those of us who remember the carefree time it recreates, Main Street will bring back happy memories. For younger visitors, it is an adventure in turning back the calendar to the days of their grandfather's youth." Above the firehouse in Town Square at Disneyland is Walt Disney's personal apartment, fully furnished but off-limits to the public. A lamp is kept burning in the front window as a tribute to his memory, except at Christmas where a small tannenbaum replaces the lamp. It is largely decorated for both Halloween and Christmas.

There is a 60-foot-tall (18 m) Christmas tree during Christmas Time, and there is a 16-foot-high (4.9 m) Mickey Mouse jack-o-lantern on Halloween Time, with additional pumpkin ears. In the circular hub in front of the Sleeping Beauty Castle, the bronze "Partners" statue of Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse is surrounded by smaller bronzes of familiar Disney characters, such as Donald Duck and the White Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland.

The Main Street Opera House in Town Square is the oldest building in Disneyland. It formerly served as the park's lumber mill between 1955 and 1961. The cannons that are displayed in the center of the square were used by the French army during the 1800s, although they were never fired in battle. The gas lamps that line the street originally came from Baltimore and were bought for $.03 a pound.[3]

Partners, sculpted by Blaine Gibson,[4] was added in 1993. During the Halloween season, pumpkin busts for each themed land in the park, except Main Street, are seen around "Partners." It is listed as a real street in the Orange County Thomas Guide.

Attractions and entertainment

Former attractions and entertainment

Restaurants and refreshments

Former restaurants

Shops

Former shops

Magic Kingdom

Main Street, U.S.A. at Magic Kingdom
Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse in the Celebrate a Dream Come True Parade down Main Street, U.S.A.

Instead of being a replica of a small Midwestern American town, Main Street at Walt Disney World features some stylistic influences from around the country, such as New England and Missouri. This is most noticeable in the "four corners" area in the middle of Main Street where each of the four corner buildings represents a different architectural style. There is also no Opera House as there is at Disneyland; instead there is the Exposition Hall. Main Street is lined with shops selling merchandise and food.

The decor is early-20th-century small-town America, inspired by Walt Disney's childhood and the film Lady and the Tramp. City Hall contains the Guest Relations lobby where cast members provide information and assistance. A real working barber shop gives haircuts for free. The Emporium carries a wide variety of Disney souvenirs such as plush toys, collectible pins, and Mickey-ear hats. Tony's Town Square and the Plaza Restaurant are sit-down restaurants. Casey's Corner is at the end of Main Street and sells traditional American ball park fare including burgers and fries.

In the distance beyond the end of Main Street stands Cinderella Castle. Though only 189 feet (55m) tall, it benefits from a technique known as forced perspective. The second stories of all the buildings along Main Street are shorter than the first stories, and the third stories are even shorter than the second, and the top windows of the castle are much smaller than standard. The resulting visual effect is that the buildings appear to be larger and taller than they really are. Main Street is considered the "opening credits" for the Magic Kingdom. Visitors pass under the train station (the opening curtain), and then view the opening credits on the upper stories of the main street buildings.

Each window has a business name on it, such as "Seven Summits Expeditions, Frank G. Wells President"; each of these people has a connection to Disney. The windows/credits are ordered as they would be for a movie. In addition to the bronze "Partners Statue" of Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse in front of Cinderella Castle; there is also the "Sharing the Magic Statue" of Roy O. Disney sitting with Minnie Mouse near the park's entrance. Surrounding the "Partners Statue" at the central hub are several iconic Disney characters featured throughout the park. These include Minnie, Donald, Br'er Rabbit, Goofy, Chip and Dale, etc.

Attractions and entertainment

Main Street Vehicles
(Magic Kingdom)
 Cinderella Castle
 Central Plaza
Car barn
(not open to public)
Main Street, U.S.A.
Steam train transfer
(via short walk inside park)

Former attractions and entertainment

Restaurants and refreshments

Shops

Tokyo Disneyland

World Bazaar at Tokyo Disneyland during the Christmas Season.

The World Bazaar is the alternative of Main Street, U.S.A. It is covered by a glass Victorian-style conservatory roof to shield guests from the Japanese weather. Amongst others, World Bazaar features a 1950s American diner. World Bazaar features the most eateries out of the "Main Streets", with three table service restaurants (four including Club 33). There is also a larger side street called "Center Street" that runs across Main Street which exits on either side into Tomorrowland and Adventureland. This was the first "Main Street" that did not have a train station (the other "Main Street" being in Shanghai Disneyland.) World Bazaar is also home to Tokyo Disneyland's Club 33.

Attractions and entertainment

Former Attractions and entertainment

Restaurants and refreshments

Shops

Disneyland Park (Paris)

Horse-Drawn Streetcars
(Disneyland Park (Paris))
 Sleeping Beauty Castle
 Central Plaza
Car barn
(not open to public)
 Main Street, U.S.A.
Steam train transfer
(via short walk inside park)

This street is themed slightly differently from the others; the decor is more 1920s than turn-of-the-century, though the buildings are almost identical to those in Florida, with influences from the flapper and ragtime eras and an emphasis on baseball culture and the rise of the automobile. Instead of horse-drawn trolleys and Victorian vehicles, plans originally featured trams to fit with the 1920s theme, but were scrapped.

Also, due to often cold, rainy weather in the area, the Imagineers compromised and offered covered walkways on either side of Main Street called "arcades". There is the "Discovery Arcade" on the side closest to Discoveryland, and the "Liberty Arcade" on the side closest to Frontierland. These provide access to all of the shops along the length of Main Street, while giving shelter from the weather. They also provide a passageway when the street is crowded during parades and fireworks.

Attractions and entertainment

Restaurants and refreshments

Shops

Hong Kong Disneyland

A cannon located at the Town Square of Hong Kong Disneyland
Emporium at night

Inspired by the main street in Disneyland, the buildings of this Main Street are almost identical to those in Anaheim. Like other main streets, Hong Kong Disneyland's Main Street, U.S.A. serves as the entrance of the park. Plans originally featured a restaurant under the Hong Kong Disneyland Railroad station, but were scrapped due to budget reasons.

The decor is 20th-century small-town America from about the years 1890–1910. Though being very similar to Anaheim's main street, the story of this street is heavily influenced by European immigrants. Plaza Inn has the same exterior design as the one in Anaheim but its theme is about a wealthy American couple who traveled to Hong Kong, fell in love with its culture and cuisine, and returned to create a classical English eatery filled with all the decorations they collected on their journeys. The Market House Bakery was founded by a Viennese pastry chef who brought some of the world's most famous desserts and coffee cakes from the Austrian imperial court.

Instead of using stone as the major building material like other main streets, Main Street at Hong Kong Disneyland was built mainly of wood, which is rare in Hong Kong. There are no horse-drawn streetcars on this street, although tracks for the streetcars can be seen from early conceptual arts.

In early August 2008, The Disneyland Story presenting How Mickey Mouse Came to Hong Kong was closed. It was re-themed to Art of Animation on August 31. On January 21, 2011, a new shop named Center Street Boutique was opened. On August 21, 2012, a new shop named Victorian Collection was opened, between Emporium and Centennial Hall.

Attractions and entertainment

Former attractions and entertainment

Restaurants and refreshments

Shops

Former shops

Shanghai Disneyland

Mickey Avenue, the entrance of the Shanghai Disneyland Park, is the park's equivalent to Main Street, U.S.A.. The area is inspired by the personalities of classic Disney cartoon characters such as Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, and Chip 'n' Dale, as well as Disney films including, Ratatouille, The Three Caballeros, and Lady and the Tramp.[8] Avenue M Arcade, the largest gift shop in the park,[9] is modeled after the Carthay Circle Theater.[10] The Storytellers statue, which depicts a young Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse, is located at the end of Mickey Avenue and in front of the Gardens of Imagination.

Town planning

Town planners have a particular interest in Main Street, USA. Its designs seem to create a sense of happiness which urban planners have attempted to replicate in cities around the world. Neuroeconomist Paul Zac and urban experimentalist Charles Montgomery demonstrated that passersby on Main Street, USA are more likely to be kind, enthusiastic and apologetic and are also more likely to give hugs to strangers.[11]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Local History Archive Larimer Legends – Old Town & Disneyland – City of Fort Collins, Colorado". Library.ci.fort-collins.co.us. Archived from the original on 2009-01-25. Retrieved 2013-12-19.
  2. ↑ The Henry Ford – Walt Disney Visits Henry Ford's Greenfield Village Archived 2015-12-24 at the Wayback Machine.
  3. ↑ Jim Fanning (2009). Disneyland Challenge. Disney Editions. p. 7. ISBN 978-1-4231-0675-3.
  4. ↑ "Main Street USA Trivia". 2007-12-17. Archived from the original on 2007-12-19.
  5. 1 2 3 "Trams of the World 2017" (PDF). Blickpunkt Straßenbahn. January 24, 2017. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 16, 2017. Retrieved February 16, 2017.
  6. ↑ "The Story of the Red Wagon Inn". Mouseplanet.com. 2007-07-04. Retrieved 2013-12-19.
  7. ↑ Eades, Mark (December 27, 2015). "Disneyland's porch with a view". The Orange County Register. p. Local 2.
  8. ↑ "Additional details revealed about Shanghai Disneyland: Tangled restaurant, Jack Sparrow stunt show, Tim Burton: Alice in Wonderland maze". Inside the Magic. Retrieved August 20, 2015.
  9. ↑ "Shanghai Disneyland Themed Lands to Include New Attractions, Live Shows". Disney Parks Blog. Retrieved August 20, 2015.
  10. ↑ "D23 Expo: Disney Parks & Resorts Pavilion takes you to Shanghai". MiceChat. Retrieved August 20, 2015.
  11. ↑ Montgomery, Charles. Happy City. Penguin Books. pp. 31, 163.

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